Monthly Archives: February 2018

“I’m real excited to be back,” said Trapp. “It is awesome to be back with such a great group of guys and a great organization. We’ve got some unfinished business to take care of from last year. That is what I am all about this year.”

Trapp enters his second season with the Somerset Patriots and second in the Atlantic League. He played 45 games with the Sussex County Miners to begin his 2017 season before he signed with the Patriots in late July. Trapp proceeded to hit .327 with a home run, 21 RBI, 10 stolen bases and a .379 on-base percentage over 46 regular season games in Somerset.

The Columbia, South Carolina native ended the 2017 regular season with an impressive stretch. Trapp earned a hit in 13 of his last 15 games, over which he went 27-for-61 (.443) from the plate. Additionally, the right-handed hitting infielder/outfielder reached base safely in 28 of his final 32 games, over which he hit .392 with 18 runs scored and 18 RBI.

Trapp also split his time in Somerset between five different positions. Of his 46 games in a Patriots uniform, he spent 24 games at second base, 10 in right field, five in left field, four at shortstop and three in center field.

“Trapp really came at a time of need last year and we are grateful to have him again this year,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Trapp brings so much athleticism to our squad. He can truly play almost any position on the field and play them well. He also has a good plan at the plate and can create havoc for opposing teams when he gets on base. We look for Justin to play both outfield and infield for us this year so we can show everyone his versatility and just how truly special he is.”

Trapp began his career in the Kansas City Royals organization as an 18-year old draft pick. He spent the first six seasons with the Royals, including a full season with Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2014. He then played 54 games with the New Jersey Jackals in 2015.

The former 34th-round draft pick has stolen at least 12 bases in each of his eight professional seasons, including a career-high 31 steals over 63 games in 2011. He owns a .264 career batting average with 38 home runs, 271 RBI and 172 stolen bases in his professional career.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

This is about Endy Chavez signing with the Somerset Patriots, which became official on Monday afternoon.

Chavez, 40, returns to the Atlantic League after first joining the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2016. He hit .345 with two home runs and 37 RBI in 95 games for the now-defunct franchise before taking his talents to Mexico last year with Pericos de Puebla.

The long-time major-leaguer hit .343 in 93 games south of the border, and he was interested in returning there this year.

“I had a team in Mexico I played for last year, and they said this year they wanted to change a lot of things this year, so I really wasn’t interested in playing in Mexico if it was going to be for another team,” Chavez told MyCentralJersey.com via cellphone.

“There are only two or three teams that I like over there. Wally (Backman, who managed in Monclova last year) is going to be a manager in New Britain, and he gave me a call that he’d be there and said he’d be interested if you’re not going to Mexico to play with him. But that was almost 2 1/2 hours away from my house, so I was waiting. Then, you guys came into the picture, and I liked that because it was close to home and I liked the atmosphere in Somerset. I played there before against you guys, and it’s very good. I liked the stadium and the city.”

Chavez hit .321 with three doubles and six RBI in 14 games against the Patriots in 2016, and showed he still could get the job done in center field…although it seems very possible that he’ll see significantly more time at one of the corner spots this season in Bridgewater, a place he grew to enjoy coming to.

“The experience I had was very good,” he said. “We had intense games over there, very tight games and a lot of competition. I enjoyed it a lot. The fans support the team, I liked the ambience over there.”

Chavez has played for the Royals, Expos, Nationals, Phillies, Mets, Mariners, Rangers, Orioles and Mariners at the big league level, and still feels he can earn one last opportunity to add to his impressive total of 1,151 MLB games.

“For me, I’m very motivated at my age to still be playing baseball,” he said. “I appreciate you guys giving me the chance to have one more time on the field and do what I’ve loved to do for 22 years. I’m very excited and I want to help the team be in a good position and make it to the playoffs.”

(PR) Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have signed 13-year Major League veteran outfielder Endy Chavez for the 2018 season.

“I previously had the chance to play against Somerset and really liked the atmosphere,” said the former New York Met. “The fans seem really great and the stadium is close to home so it makes a lot of sense for me to play there.”

Chavez enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and second in the Atlantic League. He previously played for the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2016. That year, Chavez led the league with a .345 batting average along with two home runs and 37 RBI. Last season, he hit .343 with five home runs and 59 RBI over 93 games with Pericos de Puebla in the Mexican League.

The Venezuelan national has 13 seasons of service in the big leagues. Chavez broke into the majors in 2001 with the Kansas City Royals before spending the next three seasons with the Montreal Expos. He appeared in 91 games with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005, after which he signed as a free agent with the Mets and began a notable three-year stint in Queens.

Chavez hit a career-high .306 with four home runs, 42 RBI and 12 stolen bases over 133 games with the Mets in 2006, but is best remembered for his game-saving catch in Game Seven of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He robbed Scott Rolen of a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to keep the game tied and send Shea Stadium into a frenzy, resulting in two curtain calls. Chavez spent the next two seasons in New York, earning fan-favorite status before he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2009.

“We are extremely excited to add the veteran presence of Endy Chavez to our team,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Endy has been the model of consistency over his career. He plays the game the right way, providing stellar defense and always putting together solid at-bats. He will be an extremely tough matchup for our teams and will be a leader for us on and off the field.”

Chavez resurfaced in the majors in 2011 where he hit .301 over 83 games with the Texas Rangers. He then spent parts of the next three seasons at the game’s highest level with the Baltimore Orioles and again with the Mariners.

The left-handed outfielder has been known for his defense throughout his career. He once led the National League in double plays turned as an outfielder (5, 2004). Chavez also led the National League in fielding percentage as an outfielder in 2006 as a Met (1.000). That year he did not commit a single error over 218 chances in the outfield. Overall, he committed just 19 errors in over 1,000 games as a Major League outfielder.

At the plate, Chavez owns a .270 career average with 30 home runs, 266 RBI and 106 stolen bases over 13 seasons in the big leagues. He also owns a .291 overall average over his 20-year professional career.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

On the surface, it almost seems a little silly to talk to David Washington, since his numbers essentially speak for themselves.

Just 27 years old, Washington was an MiLB.com organizational All-Star in 2016 when he smashed 30 homers between Double-A and Triple-A while with the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Last year? He made the big leagues, playing in three games with the Baltimore Orioles, while going yard 18 more times at the Triple-A level.

This season, however, he’ll have plenty to say. The big first baseman/corner outfielder has signed with Somerset’s division rival, the Long Island Ducks, in perhaps the first public sign that some premium players will be headed to the Atlantic League this season thanks to the current landscape of free agency at the major-league level.

“I think a lot of people are confused right now about kind of what’s going on with free agency,” Washington told MyCentralJersey.com. “Not necessarily for me, but for people in general; you look at some of the guys that haven’t signed yet and it’s just kind of one of those things where baseball can be weird. You’ve just got to roll with it…it’s been a very interesting off-season to say the least, and I’m excited to get out there and show the Atlantic League and Long Island what I can do.”

According to Washington, the Ducks reached out to his agent, and they talked it over and decided this was the best possible scenario for him.

“That was part of the discussion (we had), figuring out what I need to do to get on the field and play,” he said. “Nothing can happen if you don’t do that, right? So, I think this is the best opportunity to do that, and I’m excited about it. From talking to people I’ve worked out with or played with that have played independent ball, they say nothing but good things about the league and about Long Island.”

Washington was recalled by the Orioles in mid-June last season, and appeared in three games, going 0-for-6 he was returned to the minors and then designated for assignment shortly thereafter. The 6-foot-5, 260 pounder now knows exactly what it is he’ll be chasing for as long as he calls Bethpage Ballpark home.

“Not to say that I didn’t think I could make it there, but making it there made it that much more real and say OK, that’s where I want to be and I can do that, now I need to get back there,” he said.

“It was definitely a learning experience. Obviously, I didn’t have the greatest of times up there, but it was great to get to that point and see baseball played at that level. I got to see really, really good players going about their business day after day and I learned a lot about consistency and having a routine…stuff that I already knew, but that got reinforced that much more.”

If he’s able to continue to produce at the level he has throughout his nine-year professional career — he’s averaged 18 homers over the last five seasons — interest for Washington among major-league organizations shouldn’t be an issue.

“I’m trying to keep that out of my head as much as possible,” he said. “I was given some good advice that wherever I’m at, that’s where I am; that’s the team that I’m on, those are my teammates and those are the guys I’m going to battle with that day. That’s all I’m really focused on; wherever I’m at, just winning baseball games.”

Tyler Bortnick, who was an Atlantic League All-Star as Somerset’s every day second baseman last season until he had his contract picked up, has signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers.

“Borty,” who first played in the league in 2015 with Lancaster, joined the Patriots last season and hit .273 with two homers and 30 RBI in 71 games, which were sandwiched between a brief stint in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

Bortnick joins another former Patriots player, Trayvon Robinson, who was also announced as re-signing with the Barnstormers today.

(PR) Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have re-signed Major League right-handed pitcher Dustin Molleken for the 2018 season.

“I really enjoyed my time in Somerset last year,” said Molleken. “I’m really looking forward to rejoining the team. It is a great place to play and the fans are incredible!”

Molleken enters his second season with the Somerset Patriots and second in the Atlantic League. The former big leaguer went 3-2 with three saves over 26 relief appearances with the Patriots last year. He also struck out 28 batters against 11 walks over 23.2 innings pitched and only allowed a run in seven of his 26 appearances.

Additionally, Molleken enjoyed a notable stretch from August 25th through September 4th where he tossed six-straight scoreless relief appearances without allowing a single baserunner (18-straight batters retired). He also tossed two shutout innings of relief in the postseason.

The Regina, Canada native made his Major League debut on July 4, 2016 for the Detroit Tigers. He appeared in four games with the Tigers that year (all in relief), striking out eight batters over 8.1 innings pitched. Molleken followed up 2016 with a 2.76 ERA over 13 relief appearances with Triple-A Toledo to begin 2017 before he joined the Patriots.

“Anytime you can add a fierce competitor on the field and a guy everyone loves in the clubhouse, you do it,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Dustin is a power arm who has had success at all levels of baseball. He wants the ball in his hands every game and we are happy to give it to him. Molleken wants to be involved and help the team win each and every night. He is also a guy people gravitate towards in the clubhouse and we are proud to have him back.”

Originally a 15th round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003, Molleken has also spent time in the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians, and Tigers organizations. He has pitched almost exclusively at the Triple-A level for each of the six seasons prior to joining Somerset. The 6’4” righty is 17-10 with a 4.14 ERA and 268 strikeouts over 200 appearances (nine starts) at the Triple-A level.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

This time of year, it would be easy to maybe just look at the name in the headline of the press releases and not actually read what’s attached.

Mike Antonini. He’s back. This is good.

But there’s more to it than just that, as is evidenced by this Brett Jodie quote included in that release…

“It was a pleasure to add Antonini to our squad last year,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “He came at a great time of need and turned into one of our better arms. We look to explore Mike’s versatility as we will pitch him out of the bullpen as well as some potential starts. He has a solid repertoire of pitches and knows how to use them to be successful.”

Mike Antonini. He’s…a reliever now? This is different.

“I talked to (Patriots director of baseball operations) Jon (Hunton) a little bit about that last year, and it was an idea that I’d had to try to get some longevity out of the season coming off of the surgery,” Antonini told MyCentralJersey.com via cellphone.

“I’ll do whatever they need me to, but it was just an idea I’d thrown out there. I’m going to prepare as a starter. If I go to the pen, I’ll make that switch. I think it would be easier to go from a starter to a reliever, but I’ll come in with the mindset to be a starter.”

Antonini hasn’t been a reliever since the 2012 season, when he was with Triple-A Albuquerque in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization back when they were grooming him to be a lefty specialist at the big league level. Although a return to starting hasn’t been ruled out — from the outside looking in, it would seem a very likely scenario would be for him to slot into the rotation after being used in long relief like Rick Teasley and David Kubiak did last season — it’ll take some adjustments to return to the bullpen.

“I’m just going to try to throw my pens to build up,” he said. “Usually coming into camp, you want to be around five innings, throw some simulated pens. I want to do that, and I’m also probably going to throw more intense bullpens, which you would have if you were a starter on day two or day three, so you can simulate being used for an inning on a Monday and then on a Wednesday and kind of get the feel for that.”

The 32-year-old southpaw got a good feel for Somerset when he first joined the club in late July of last year, and he liked what he saw. Likewise, the team couldn’t be happier to bring him back; he dazzled with a 2-1 record and 1.62 ERA over nine starts, albeit in just 39 innings of work.

“I’m thrilled,” said Antonini of being back. “Even from coming there last year and just being around those guys, you kind of see what it’s all about to be there and what it’s all about to be on that team. There’s nowhere else I’d want to be in indy ball than back with that squad.”

Now that he’s fully healthy — Antonini says he “feels great” after battling some late-season ailments associated with coming off a serious elbow procedure — the 11-year veteran is looking forward to a strong 2018 campaign.

“I think last year, Brett and Domel and everybody, we did a good job of trying to build me up and keep it on a pitch count type of thing to stay fresh based on joining the team so late and coming off the injury,” he said. “They worked with me very well. I’ve had a full year of recovery now, so it’ll be nothing but positive.”

“Somerset is an organization that expects to win championships,” said Antonini. “I want to help us get back to that point. I look forward to helping out anyway that I can to get the job done and win a championship.”

Antonini enters his second season with the Somerset Patriots and fifth in the Atlantic League. He pitched for the Patriots last year and also made appearances in the league with the Camden Riversharks (2013) and Bridgeport Bluefish (2015-2016). The southpaw went 2-1 with a 1.62 ERA over nine starts with the Patriots last year while he was held on an innings limit. Antonini struck out 47 batters against just 10 walks over his 39 innings pitched last year. The 10.8 K/9 ratio he set last year was a career-high.

The Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania native did not allow more than two runs or five hits in any of his nine regular season starts. His best start came on August 13, 2017 against the Lancaster Barnstormers where he tossed five shutout, one-hit innings with just one walk and a team-high 10 strikeouts to earn his first win of the year. His lone loss – which came in his next start on August 19th at Southern Maryland – occurred after he tossed six innings of a seven-inning game without allowing a hit.

“It was a pleasure to add Antonini to our squad last year,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “He came at a great time of need and turned into one of our better arms. We look to explore Mike’s versatility as we will pitch him out of the bullpen as well as some potential starts. He has a solid repertoire of pitches and knows how to use them to be successful.”

Antonini appeared in 13 games with the Riversharks in 2013 before he pitched for the Bluefish in 2015 and 2016. His previous best Atlantic League season came in 2015 with the Bluefish when he posted four wins over 11 starts with a 2.79 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 67.2 innings of work.

The Georgia College and State University alumnus also enjoyed a solid season for the New Jersey Jackals (Can-Am) in 2014 with a 9-3 record, 2.84 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 117.1 innings pitched. That included a Can-Am record 15-strikeout performance on July 12th, 2014 against the Lincoln Saltdogs.

Antonini spent the first four years of his professional career in the New York Mets organization, and reached the Triple-A level in both 2009 and 2010. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and was named a 2011 MiLB.com Organizational All-Star with Double-A Chattanooga. He appeared in 30 games with Triple-A Albuquerque in 2012 and was twice called up to the Majors, but never appeared in a game.

The 2007 18th-round draft pick is 62-65 in his 11-year professional career with a 4.00 ERA.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

As far as returning players go on the Somerset Patriots roster, there might not be a bigger difference in expectations between heading into last season and heading into this one than there are for Rick Teasley.

Coming into 2017, Teasley was, in the context of the Atlantic League, a no-name, unproven starter who, on paper, was unlikely to make the team out of spring training.

2018? Nobody would be surprised if he ended up taking the ball on Opening Day. Oh, the difference a year makes.

But after going 7-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 14 appearances — 10 of them starts after emerging out of an early season bullpen role — and earning the start in the Atlantic League All-Star Game, the question remains: Can he do it again?

“It’s something that I’ve definitely been thinking about as I’ve been getting ready for the season,” Teasley told MyCentralJersey.com via cellphone.

“It was one of the best statistical years of my career in probably the toughest league I’ve ever pitched in, so you can’t expect to come back and do exactly that or replicate that or even be thinking about that. I’m just trying to get back in the same mindset I was in before last year, that you have something to prove and you’re not technically supposed to be here based off of your resume. When I pitch like that; when I’m competitive and I have something to prove, that’s when I’m pitching my best. As long as I can control that mindset, I don’t really have to worry about what I did last year…that’s going to be the goal. Pitch with something to prove, compete, win.”

Teasley’s “Thor” look and gregarious attitude endeared himself to the Patriots fanbase, and his performance on the field only furthered that popularity. The feeling was mutual; he genuinely loved pitching in Bridgewater.

So, for as difficult was for the TD Bank Ballpark faithful to see the 26-year-old southpaw leave for Taiwan’s Chinatrust Brothers franchise in early July, it was just as hard of a decision for him to go at all.

“I didn’t want to leave. I even spoke to some of the guys about it, and I said I didn’t want to leave,” Teasley said.

“They said I had an opportunity go pitch in the Taiwanese big leagues, it’s not much of a decision you need to make, you need to go. It’s something that may never come up again, go. The point of choosing between staying in Somerset — we’ve got a playoff spot and I’ve never been faced with leaving any place in the middle of a season like that. It wasn’t something I even thought about as the season was going on. I was going to be in Somerset until the season is over and we were holding that trophy. Then you get that call from Taiwan, and it’s…wait a minute, they want you to leave in a few days. I have to leave my host house, drive back to Florida and leave from there? I’m going to do all that? It was either that, or you may never get the chance again. I just kind of did it, and it didn’t even really sink in until I landed in Taiwan that, ‘Oh wow, this is what I’m doing.’ It was definitely one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make. I wasn’t ready to leave and I didn’t want to leave, we were all having a great season; gelling, the team was doing great and we were having a lot of fun. Just a weird, quick decision I made and it is what it is.”

Teasley pitched well overseas, and enjoyed the fan interest, but perhaps needed more time getting used to the actual baseball itself.

“It was cool, because that’s the big leagues of Taiwan. You’re a celebrity over there, and it’s kind of cool to experience that. The games are nationally televised, millions of people are watching. That aspect of it was really cool. My teammates were awesome,” he said.

“But, as far as the baseball, the game is played differently. It’s an all offensive league, and it was definitely frustrating from a pitching standpoint. Pitching over there isn’t easy. That takes some adjusting, and some of the older guys who’ve been over there a while told me, ‘Hey man, it’s tough to come over here and just get thrown into the fire.’ They said most of the time, you’ve got to learn how to pitch to guys over here. It plays pretty different. I was pretty young to be in that league, maybe I’ll get another opportunity later on. It was a good experience, worth trying to do it. But I’m definitely excited to come back and pitch in America.”

Now, Teasley, who also spent some time in Venezuela playing winter ball, will return to Somerset with the chance to finish what he helped start last year.

“I’m pumped,” he said. “With coming back (from Taiwan), they set up their roster out there and it turned out I wasn’t going back. I was actually a little bit excited, because it meant I was going back to Somerset. There wasn’t anywhere else I was even thinking about going.”

“Moving to the Atlantic League and joining the Patriots last year changed my career,” said Teasley. “[Somerset] is the best place to play in the Atlantic League. This year I have something to prove. I had a strong half of a season last year, but my goal this year is to have a good, strong full season and make the playoffs with these guys.”

Teasley enters his second year with the Somerset Patriots and second season in the Atlantic League. The gold-haired southpaw enjoyed a breakout season in Somerset last year, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.85 ERA over 14 appearances (10 starts). Teasley went 2-0 and allowed just one run over his first four appearances (0.75 ERA) as a reliever before he transitioned into the starting rotation.

From there, the Port St. Lucie, Florida native shined. Teasley went 5-2 over 10 games as a starting pitcher and was selected as the starting pitcher for the Liberty Division in the 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game. He tossed a scoreless, perfect inning to begin the festivities at TD Bank Ballpark.

At the time of the All-Star Game, the southpaw was tied for the league-lead in wins (7) and ranked sixth in the league in ERA (2.85). Additionally, Teasley yielded just 14 walks over his 75.2 innings pitched with the Patriots (including 11 walks over 10 games started).

His contract was purchased by ChinaTrust Brothers (Taiwan) on July 17th, where he finished his 2017 season.

“We are extremely excited to have Teasley rejoin our team again,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Rick really came in last year and showed a great understanding of how to pitch. He seemed very polished for a younger guy but still continued to learn and grow into one of the league’s best. Teasley will be a big part of our team on and off the field again this year.”

Prior to 2017, Teasley had pitched for three seasons with the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier League, totaling a 28-14 record with a 3.67 ERA in 57 starts. He went 8-5 over 17 starts and finished third in the league in complete games (three) with the Miners in 2016.

The St. Leo College alumnus impressed in 2015 with Southern Illinois as well with a 9-4 record over 20 starts with a 2.78 ERA. Additionally, he finished third in the league in innings pitched (126.1) and fourth in strikeouts (105) that season.

Teasley also led the Frontier League in wins (11) in 2014. In his three seasons with the Miners, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in starts, innings pitched and shutouts. He also tossed the first no-hitter in team history on June 5th, 2014.

The 26 year-old began his career in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, where he tossed a 2.61 ERA over 41.1 innings of work split between Rookie-level Princeton and Short-Season Hudson Valley. He owns a career 38-20 record and a 3.44 ERA over five seasons of professional baseball stateside.

The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.